Engine-governor.



C. BALOUGH.

ENGINE GOVERNOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7. 1913.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

CHARLES BALOUGH, OE SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE KELLY-SPRINGFIELD MOTOR TRUCK COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO. I

ENGINE-GOVERNOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented a at. iota.

Application filed November 7, 1913.. Serial Ito. 799,794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES BALonoH, a citizen of Austria-Hungary, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Grovernors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in governors for internal combustion engines, and relates more particularly .to improvements in that type of governor which employs a series of loose balls acting in connection with a spring-pressed inclined movable part so that as centrifugal force isdeveloped in the balls by the motion of the engine, they will act upon the inclined part to move the same against the tension of its spring to-regulate the supply of explosive mixture. l

The object of my invention is to simplify and make more efiective the operation of governors of this character.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction which will permit a practically instantaneous opening of the regulating valve for theexplosive mixture when an increased load is placed upon the engine.

A further object is to provide a construction which will eliminate undue friction ,between the balls and their cooperating parts.

'lln,the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a governing device and regulating valve showing my improvements. Fig. 2is a side view of the regulating valve, a portion of the inclosing casing for the same being removed. Flg. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detailof the operating balls and their holder.

Like parts are represented by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

The particular purpose for which I have designed this governor is to regulate the explosive charge for internal combustion engines used in connection with automobile trucks. these trucks be kept within certain limits and it has become usual therefore to equip the motors with governors. Difficulty has been experienced,'however, in governing the ltis desirable that the speed of speed of truck motors in thatthe governors heretofore employed have not been sensitive enough; that is, the action of the governor begins too early and stops too late. By this is meant that it is desirable that the governor permit the engine to acquire a certain desired speed before its action upon the regulating valve begins, as in connection with. starting the motor, and that after the speed of the' motor has been reduced to a certain limit, it is further desirable that the action of the governor cease practically instantaneous, as when the motor encounters a sud den heavy load such as a steep hill. It has been found that the employment of loose balls in which centrifugal energy is stored by the motion of the parts, tends to overcome these. difficulties, for it has been demonstrated that these loose balls will not move from their normal position until a certain amount of centrifugal energy is stored up in them by the speed of the motor reaching a vertical shaft 4, adapted to be driven from the engine through the medium of the shaft 5 and gears 6 and'7. Connected with this shaft ijust above the bearing 2, is a ball holder provided with a series of radiallyarranged pockets 8 in which are located a series of balls, 9, the said pockets being each of substantially the same width throughout and confine the balls therein more or less -snugly but allow the balls to turn freely therein. These balls run upon a race or track 10 in the nature of a hardened ring, which loosely encircles the holder 8 just beneath the pockets therein and is supported by ballbearings 11 located in a ball-cage 12, which balls 11 run upon the projecting flange 2 of the bearing 2. The upper part of the shaft l is reduced, and, slidably connection with the shaft 23. The valve is' mounted upon this reduced portion of the shaft and also in the upper portion of a supporting bridge or diaphragm 13, is a tubular stem 14, having connected to an extended flange 14* at the lower-end thereof a cupshaped plate 15 having an inclined Outer wall 15. A spring 16 encircling the stem and bearing against the flange 14* at its lower end and at its other end against an in-turned flange at the upper end of an adjusting nut .16, causes the cup-shaped plate to be forced yieldably against the balls 9. The tension of the spring may be regulated by the adjusting nut 16 before referred to.

The upper end of the tubular stem 14 has a slot or bifurcated portion across which extends a pivot pin 17 engaged by the bifurcated arm 18 of a bell-crank lever pivotally supported in ears 19 projecting upwardly from the support 13. The other arm 20 of this bell-crank lever is pivotally connected to one end of a link 21, the opposite end of said link being pivotally connected to a crank arm 22 fast to a shaft 23 which extends to and is connected with the regulating valve located in the intake manifold 24; the shaft having a hearing at one end in the casing 1, and in a removable plug 24 in the manifold at the other end.

This regulating valve is of the butterfly type consisting of a shaft 27 having projecting wings 25 and 26; the said shaft being journaled in the wall of the manifold and plug 24: and has a tongue and groove of peculiar construction, in that the wing 25 thereof is .of greater length than the other wing 26 and the valve shaft is journaled eccentrically in the intake manifold to compensate for the different lengths of the wmgs. In the open position of the valve, the long wing 25 projects upwardly and the short one 26 downwardly, so that as the valve starts to open, the inrush of the mixture will have a tendency to assist the opening of the valve by reason of the fact that the long wing gives a greater leverage for the action of the inrushing fluid than does the shorter wing.

It is thought that the operation of the device will be understood. As before stated, it is necessarythat the engine acquire a certain speed before enough centrifugal energy is stored up in the balls 9 to cause them to roll outwardly. As these balls move outwardly, they will, by reason of their action upon the inclined surface 15 of the plate 15, force said plate and its tubular rod upwardly against the tension of the spring 16. This causes the regulating valve to move to closing position through the connections described. When a sudden heavyload is encountered and the speed of the parts is reduced so that the centrifugal energy in the balls is reduced, they will have a tendency to roll back to their normal position very quickly, and this, together with the action of the inrushing fluid upon the valve, will cause the valve. to open very quickly, thus en- 1 p the balls will cause the track 10 to revolve upon the bearings 11, whereas in prior constructions where loose balls have been employed for this purpose, it has been necessary for the balls to slide upon certain of their cooperating parts, such as the pockets of the member 8.

A further advantage of this governor resides in the fact that it has no small pivots .to get out of order, and further that the tension of the spring 16, the tension of which restricts the centrifugal force of the halls, may be regulated, while the governor is running.

A further advantage resides in the fact that the track 10 may be readily removed when desired and another track of different shape substituted therefor. In explanation of this, it may be said that the shape of the track 10 has a decided effect on the workings of the governor and said governor can be made to care for a certain speed at a certain position, or it can work pendulum like from the utmost inner to the utmost outer position backward and forward, all depending upon the top surface of the track 10 as to whether it is perfectly straight, such as shown in the drawings, or is convex or concay e to a more or less degree.

A further advantage in the construction described is that the governor may be run in an oil bath and in this way prevent any appreciable wear. It also has the advantage that it may be constructed compactly and so completely inclosed as to eliminate the danger of dust or other undesirable substances coming in contact with the working parts and to also eliminate the danger of the parts getting out of order by tampering.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a governor, a revoluble member having a series of pockets, balls located in said pockets, a revoluble track for said balls, an anti-friction support for said track, and a movable member 'cooperatin with said balls.

2. In a governor, a revolu le member having a serles of radially-arranged pocketsopen on their under sides, a series of balls in said pockets, a movable circulartrack for said balls, an anti-friction support for said track, and a slidably-arranged plate having an inclined surface cooperating with said balls together with means for holding the same in frictional engagement therewith.

3. In a governor, a revoluble shaft, a member connected with said shaft having a series of radially-arranged pockets open on their under sides, a series of balls in said pockets, a movable track for said balls, an anti-friction support for said track, and a movable member cooperating with said balls together with a spring for holding the same in frictional engagement therewith.

4. In a governor, a revolving member having a series of radially-arranged pockets open on their under sides, a series of balls in said pockets, a track for said balls, and an anti-friction support for said track, said track being capable of moving independent of said pocketed member, and a movable spring-pressed member cooperating with said balls.

5. In a governor, a revoluble shaft, a member connected with said shaft having a series of radially-arranged pockets open on their upper and under sides, a movable track 0-1 the under side of said pockets for said balls, an anti-friction support for saidtrack, a movable member on said shaft above said pockets, and a spring for holding said'movable member in frictional engagement with said balls.

6. In a governor, a revoluble shaft, a longitudinally-movable member connected with said shaft having a series of radially-arranged pockets open on their upper and under sides, a movable track for said balls on the under side ,of said pockets, an anti-friction support for said track, a movable member having an inclined face cooperating with said balls, a hollow stem connected with said movable member, and a spring about said stem to hold said movable member in frictional engagement with said balls.

In a governor, a revoluble shaft, a member connected with said shaft having a series of radially-arranged pockets open on their upper and under sides, a series of balls in said pockets, a movable track beneath said pockets for said balls, an anti-friction support for said track, a hollow stem slidably mounted on said shaft, an inclined plate connected with the lower end of said stem, a spring for holding said plate in frictional engagement with said balls, and

means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

8. In a governor, held together but capable of being separated, a series of balls confined between said members but capable of moving outwardly under centrifugal force to separate said members, means for revolving said balls about a common central axis, one of said members having movement relative to said balls so that all sliding frictional engagement between said balls and separable members is eliminated.

9. In a governor, two members yieldably held together but capable of being separated, one of said members consisting of a rotatable track, a series of balls confined between said members but capable of moving outwardly under centrifugal force to separate said members, means for revolving said balls about a common central axis, whereby all sliding frictional engagement between said balls and separable members is eliminated.

10. In a governor, two members, one of which is spring-pressed toward the other and one of which consists of a rotatable track, a rotatable ball holder between said 'members, a series of balls confined between said members and arranged to be revolved about a common axis by said holder, theconstruction and arrangement of said parts being such that all sliding frictional engagement between said balls and separable members is eliminated.

two members yieldably 11. In a governor, two members yieldably held together, a series of balls confined between said members, together with means for revolving said balls about a common central axis, said balls being capable of moving outwardlyunder centrifugal force, the

construction of said members being such that the outward movement of said balls will cause a separation of the same, one of said members being capable of a revoluble movement relative to said balls, the construction and arrangement of said parts being such that all sllding frictional engagement between said balls andseparable members is eliminated.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of October, 1913.

" CHARLES BALOUGH. Witnesses:

CHAS. I. WnLoH, ESTHER E. PEEH'ER. 

